Osvaldo Manuel Pérez Peñalver, actor, oral storyteller, puppeteer, clown, and director of the renowned company Teatro de la Palabra, passed away this Saturday, August 1, leaving a profound void in the Cuban artistic scene, as reported today by the Centro de Teatro de La Habana.
Pérez Peñalver was a co-founder, alongside Daniel Alberto Hernández Acosta, of Teatro de la Palabra in January 1997, a project that combined the art of storytelling with puppetry, clown techniques, acting, declamation, and music, the institution detailed.
According to the note, "under his leadership, the company became a benchmark for theatrical oral tradition in Cuba and the world," transcending the borders of the Island to extend its reach in the Latin American and international sphere.
In addition to his work leading Teatro de la Palabra, Osvaldo Manuel directed the International Festival "Tales for an Ancient City," an event that for many years brought oral storytelling to the squares and parks of Havana's historic center. The festival, sponsored by Teatro de la Palabra and the Havana Theatre Center, reached its 15th edition in July 2025, featuring storytellers from Mexico, Guatemala, and Cuba, and has fostered values of coexistence in children through the art of storytelling.
The oral storytelling tradition in Cuba has been established since the 1970s, supported institutionally by the Section of Oral Storytellers of the Association of Scenic Artists of UNEAC, an organization that awards the Juglar Prize as the main recognition in the sector.
In this context, Pérez Peñalver's career has garnered top-level awards: the National Juglar Prize from UNEAC in 2004 and 2006, the National Storytelling Prize in 2008, the National Words of Winter Prize in Matanzas in 2013, and the Ibero-American Chamán Prize for Culture, Communication, Orality, and Scenic Orality in 2021, as noted by the Havana Theatre Center.
The news generated a wide wave of condolences on social media. The National Council of the Performing Arts of Cuba publicly expressed its condolences, and colleagues from the scene, cultural institutions, and artists from other countries joined in mourning. "This friend, an tireless oral storyteller, actor, director, has departed, and I hope his theater of words can be inherited by someone with similar talent and desire to create," wrote art critic Frank Eduardo Padrón Nodarse.
A netizen who shared the stage with him wrote: "What a tragedy. We were stage partners a few times. Rest in peace, brother friend." From Mexico, another user bid farewell to the artist with these words: "See you soon, comrade. Thank you for your art and company; we miss you from Mexico..."
Other messages reflected the magnitude of the loss for the community: "Oral storytelling in Cuba is in mourning," wrote fellow storyteller Dayana Deulofeu, while another user expressed their sorrow: "Sad news. Rest in peace, Osvaldo. You still had so much left to do. Light for your soul."
The passing of Osvaldo Manuel Pérez Peñalver adds to a series of losses that have mourned Cuban culture throughout 2026: the actor Alden Knight died in February, Gilberto Subiaurt López in March, Jorge Losada Moreno in April, José Emigdio Pascual Varona «Pini» in May, and the actor Oscar Álvarez in June.
The Teatro de La Habana closed its farewell message with a phrase that summarizes the artist's legacy: "His departure leaves an immense void in the art of Cuban oral storytelling. The word, his fundamental tool, will remain alive in every story told, in every child who dreamed of his tales, and in every square of Havana that witnessed his magic."
Please extend our heartfelt condolences to your family, friends, and colleagues.
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